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Caerdan Firestar
=Introduction= ---- ((Under construction, pardon some placeholder text.)) Caerdan Firestar is a former infantry officer of Quel'thalas and a current Knight-Master of the Blood Knight order. He is a veteran of several Quel'dorei, Sin'dorei, and Horde campaigns dating back to the Second War through the current conflict on Argus. Previously affiliated with the Blood Knights 7th Regiment, the Sunguard, the Hammer of Liadrin, the Dominion of the Sun, and the Dawnfury Concordant, Caerdan has seen battle in a variety of theaters across Azeroth and on other worlds. A Sin'dorei of slightly tall and very muscular stature, he is an expert warrior; he served as an infantrymen for many decades before beginning to master the powers of the Light. He is fierce and aggressive in combat, preferring a strong offense bolstered by a Light-wielding defense. Outside of battle, he is a staunch and proud Sin'dorei nationalist, known for his strong desire for Quel'thalas' independence from both the Alliance and the Horde, in due time. Intellectually, Caerdan is well-educated and a skilled and studied linguist. He speaks Thalassian, Common, Orcish, Taurahe, and Dwarven with varying degrees of skill, and has studied small amounts of various other written languages. These abilities make him an effective diplomat, though he often must choose his words carefully in light of his racial biases. =Background= ---- Caerdan was born as the only son of Commander Arenil Firestar and his wife Elaene. The couple eventually gave birth to two daughters, Riele and Selaena, but Caerdan was to remain his father's only male offspring. He grew up showing an eagerness to learn, inheriting the skills of both his parents. Caerdan grew up learning the ways of a warrior, able to wield a sword with skill from a young age under the tutelage of his father, a respected veteran soldier and officer. From his mother, he learned a variety of languages, taking to linguistic studies with eagerness and a sharp mind. But while his intelligence and skills could have offered him many a career, Caerdan chose to follow in his father's footsteps and become a soldier of the High Elven armies of Quel'thalas, hoping to mimic his father's career as an officer. At the age of 83, Caerdan fought alongside his father when Quel'thalas' army was mobilized during the Second War. Despite his pedigree as a soldier's son and his extensive training, Caerdan's performance was nevertheless unremarkable. Years later at 97 years of age, when Arthas led his army of undead minions into Quel'thalas, Caerdan again found himself on the front line of war. His father was killed by the Scourge, and a grieving Caerdan was left with an isolated unit of High Elven warriors as the undead rampaged through Quel'thalas, waging a series of desperate battles against the Scourge until the line could no longer be held. Tired, beaten, and fatherless, Caerdan was forced to flee his home along with what remained of his family and his comrades. With Silvermoon lost and Quel'thalas overrun with the undead, Caerdan wandered for many years as a refugee, watching over his mother and sisters in the wake of his father's death at the hands of the Scourge. When the Blood Elves reclaimed Silvermoon, Caerdan finally returned home with his family. While Prince Kael'thas led a group of Blood Elves into Outland, Caerdan chose to remain at home and served in the infantry, policing the city with the help of the Arcane Guardians and waging frequent battles against the lingering undead that continued to assault the city's gates. Full of grief and rage from the tragic collapse of his people, Caerdan began to display a level of viciousness and martial prowess unlike anything in his military career. While he proved competent but unremarkable during the Second War, as a guardian of Silvermoon he quickly earned the commendation of his officers for the skill and savagery with which he destroyed the Scourge and the Wretched that threatened Silvermoon. Proving his worth as a soldier and leader, Caerdan finally accomplished his decades-old goal of command, and was made an army Lieutenant with command over a small squadron of skilled warriors charged with battling out into the Dead Scar to help contain the flow of undead assaulting the city. =Character Information= ---- Personality and Philosophy Although his personality has softened out over the past few years, Caerdan still embodies much of the stern, focused severity that was characteristic of the Blood Knight Order in its early days. To him, the safety, security, and prosperity of Quel'thalas come first, and the Sunwell's restored light is his weapon to protect the kingdom and crush its enemies. When it comes to his duties as a Blood Knight, Caerdan is all business. He can crack a joke on the battlefield, but when it comes down to it, fighting for the fatherland is what it all boils down to. Having survived Arthas' ravaging of Silvermoon and spent many years fighting daily to protect the survivors with whom he traveled, Caerdan has come to have high expectations of every Sin'dorei due to their kingdom's difficult days. Because Quel'thalas holds only a fraction of its previous power and glory, Caerdan is a strong believer that every surviving Blood Elf must be both willing to serve at any cost, and capable of making a tangible difference either on the battlefield or the homefront. He has a very low tolerance for those who are 'useless' and don't actively contribute to the restoration of Quel'thalas. Among those he deems his equals, Caerdan is a warm friend who will gladly enjoy a drink by a warm fire or a late night of partying. He is a loyal friend to those he trusts, and can even be a bit of a flirt when the right mood strikes him and the right person finds him. Family and Affiliations Test Text. =In-Character History= ---- Blood Knights Seventh Regiment In the aftermath of Silvermoon's reclamation, Caerdan finally began to distinguish himself as an elite soldier and skilled commander. Battling through the Dead Scar, he and his unit laid waste to the Scourge in masterful displays of combat prowess and absolute brutality. Still, despite his rank and his skill with a blade, Caerdan wanted more power -- and he found it with the establishment of Lady Liadrin's Blood Knight Order. By mastering the Light energy stolen from the Naaru M'uru, Caerdan added the deadly and protective powers of the Light to his own skill as a soldier. He was assigned to the Blood Knights Seventh Regiment in Silvermoon, claiming the Blood Knight Insignia of a relative novice Master who had fallen to a Scourge ambush in Eversong. During his tenure as a member of the Seventh, Caerdan distinguished himself on the battlefield with exceptional performance, and at home with a strong personality and leadership skills. He climbed through the ranks of the Seventh and was eventually named Knight-Captain of the Phoenix Squadron, one of the Regiment's three fighting divisions. Despite his success, he also received criticism for his racist attitudes toward the other Horde races, and received a reprimand from his officers for his public support of the Sin'talah, or "Blood Party" of Sin'dorei supremacists. Eventually, the leadership of the Seventh Regiment fell into flux and disorder, with several new Knight-Lords being appointed and removed from the Regiment in a difficult period before its eventual dissolution. Dissatisfied with what he viewed as unacceptable and inferior leadership, Caerdan voluntarily resigned from the Seventh, and was assigned to a unit of Horde soldiers bound for Northrend. First Tour in Northrend With the Seventh Regiment behind him, Caerdan sailed northward with a fleet of Horde forces to reinforce the war effort in Northrend. As a respected Knight-Master, Caerdan enjoyed a limited degree of autonomy during his service. He participated in a long and bloody campaign against the Vrykul in Ymirheim, in which he received recognition from his Orc commander for his particular displays of ferocity on the battlefield and his extensive and brutal slaughter of countless Vrkykul warriors. Following his victories in Ymirheim, Caerdan traveled to the Argent Tournament to train among the many warriors of the Alliance and Horde preparing for the final battle against the Lich King. After proving himself in trials of combat, Caerdan earned the right to formally represent Silvermoon at the Tournament, and received his prized Dragonhawk mount from the Sunreavers in recognition of his skill. However, shortly after distinguishing himself at the tournament, Caerdan was injured while defending the Orgrim's Hammer from an Alliance boarding party during a skirmish with the Skybreaker. After slaying several attackers, Caerdan met his match against a human Paladin, suffering a grave wound to his right shoulder after a prolonged duel. Temporarily incapacitated by the injury, Caerdan was withdrawn from Northrend for medical treatment and sent back to Silvermoon to recover. The Sunguard Upon returning home from the north, Caerdan nursed his injuries in Silvermoon while surveying the situation at home. Despite his injured condition, Caerdan couldn't bring himself to sit on the sidelines for long; he soon approached Felthier Truefeather and enlisted in the Sunguard. As a Dawnward, Caerdan participated in a number of campaigns against the forces of the Alliance, sating his thirst for battle while recuperating his injuries sustained in the north. Second Tour in Northrend As the time for the final assault against Icecrown Citadel drew near, Caerdan withdrew from the Sunguard and returned to Northrend to lend his aid to the final war effort. Caerdan was among the many hardened soldiers who battled outside of Icecrown Citadel, cutting down countless minions of the Scourge as a team of elite heroes made their way inside the Citadel to slay the Lich King. With his shoulder scarred, but fully healed, Caerdan put on a vicious performance at the gates of Icecrown, littering the ground with the broken limbs of the undead while the Lich King met his demise inside. With the victory won, Caerdan was relieved of his responsibilities in Northrend and was allowed to return home to Silvermoon a decorated champion. The Shattering of Azeroth After the war in Northrend came to a close, Caerdan was approached by his former comrade from the Seventh Regiment, Arrodis Lightfury, to become a part of the fledgling Hammer of Liadrin. As a leading Knight-Master with the Hammer, Caerdan was sent to Orgrimmar as part of an expeditionary force to aid in the defense of the Horde capitol against enraged elementals. Sleeping at a local inn converted into a temporary volunteer barracks, Caerdan waged a furious battle against the elementals, frequently fighting to and past the point of exhaustion as battles raged around the clock. During the course of the siege, Caerdan gained a newfound respect for the Orcs and Tauren -- particularly as he battled alongside and fraternized with warriors of the Kor'kron Legion, whose strength and tenacity impressed the Blood Elf considerably. In the wake of Azeroth's shattering, the Hammer of Liadrin was dissolved, leaving Caerdan on his own once more. Dominion of the Sun Garrosh Hellscream's aggressive attitude led to a renewal of the bitter struggle between Alliance and Horde, and Caerdan welcomed the new Warchief with some admiration. Finding Garrosh's ruthless assaults against the Alliance to his liking, Caerdan quickly sought a way to get involved in the fighting on behalf of Quel'thalas. This search led the veteran Blood Knight to the Dominion of the Sun, with whom he participated in several battles during the Theramore Campaign, including the bloody Clash of the Battlescar. As in his past, Caerdan's fighting skills were an asset to the forces of the Horde, and he earned his share of accolades in combat. However, it was around this time that Caerdan began to display signs of a rapid decline into uncontrollable rage and instability. Several gruesome battlefield executions, coupled with an increasingly unstable mood and several violent outbursts at friend and foe alike drew the attention of his immediate superiors in the Blood Knight order. It was by a direct command from the order that he was withdrawn from combat and sent on a forced sabbatical leave. This leave effectively ended Caerdan's participation in the ongoing campaign, and would lead to an extended leave of absence from the mainland. Sabbatical at Quel'Danas With his mental state in question, Caerdan was withdrawn from active duty and sent north of Silvermoon to the Isle of Quel'Danas, where he was ordered to take an extended retreat and clear his mind. While he initially protested this vehemently, Caerdan eventually realized that his cooperation was necessary for his continued service. Because of his retreat at Quel'Danas, Caerdan missed out on the entirety of the Horde's campaign into Pandaria. While at Quel'danas, Caerdan maintained a strict regimen of physical training, ensuring that his martial skills would remain sharpened. In addition to his physical training, however, Caerdan spent great lengths of time in contemplation and meditation, reflecting on his own development as a soldier and the progress of the Sin'dorei since the restoration of the Sunwell. His highly aggressive personality toned down considerably as he came to terms with many of his inner struggles, and he took on a much sterner, almost stoic character in contrast to his previous hot temper. With a renewed and noble mind, Caerdan petitioned for, and was eventually granted, permission to return to Silvermoon and rejoin the ranks of his fellow soldiers. Return to the Blood Knights Upon returning from Quel'danas, the newly refreshed Caerdan returned to Quel'thalas to resume his service to the Blood Knight Order. He remained in Silvermoon to assist in the training and mentoring of the order's initiates, using his depth of experience to help prepare the newest Blood Knights for battle. He did not see active duty again until the Third Invasion of the Burning Legion began sending waves of demons to assault Azeroth from the skies. Together with a band of his newly-trained Blood Knights, Caerdan deployed to Hillsbrad to reinforce the Horde troops attempting to hold the line there. There, the Knight-Master fought continually in a string of relentless battles that reminded him of the elemental invasions of the Shattering. Caerdan himself survived the battle and slew countless demons by his blade, but a number of the novice knights under his care fell as the endless tide of demons continued to crash against their defenses. Their deaths only spurred Caerdan to fight on with even greater fervor, and by the time the skies cleared, he was able to stand tall alongside his fellow knights and warriors of the Horde in victory, having thwarted the Legion's attempts at taking Hillsbrad. The victory, however, came at a great personal cost for Caerdan, who buried four knights he had personally trained. When the dust settled, Caerdan returned not to Silvermoon, but to Dalaran -- he would follow Liadrin into battle in the Broken Isles and, specifically, to Suramar. As part of Liadrin's Blood Knight detachment, Caerdan fought alongside his brethren in the order to help secure the outskirts of Suramar City in preparation for battle, and joined the main assault force that stormed the city with their allied High Elven and Night Elven forces. Caerdan fought viciously against the Legion, holding the memory of his fallen knights close, but found himself filled with sorrow when fighting Elisande's loyalists. The Nightborne were in a situation not unlike that of the Sin'dorei, and Caerdan couldn't help but feel for them even as he cut them down in effort to purge the city of the Legion's influence. Ultimately, the Elven coalition succeeded and, after being released from Elisande's stasis, helped the cleanup forces occupy and secure the Nighthold as the insurrection came to a close. Category:Characters Category:Blood Elf Category:Blood Knights Category:Dominion of the Sun Category:The Sunguard